State employees not happy after first day back in office

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The conditions inside a state agency are coming to light after some workers have said it is too cramped and downright dangerous.

News 4 told you last Thursday, July 31, that employees at the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services had to return to full-time on Monday.

We heard from both an employee and department leaders on how the first day back went.

"You could definitely tell people were very depressed, people were very down," an employee said.

Another employee that News 4 spoke with, who wishes to remain anonymous, also spoke about the first day back inside the office.

"I probably spoke to at least 17 or 18 new people today, that I can think of, and not a single one had a positive thing to say about being in the office," another employee said.

In the story we brought you last week, the agency is now in compliance with Gov. Kevin Stitt's executive order that was issued in December 2024, ending remote work.

The department kept employees part-time remote anyway, due to a lack of space.

That changed when Greg Slavonic took over as interim commissioner.

"They have made the cubicles really, really small so that they can fit everybody," an employee told us last Thursday. "They are putting three, four people into areas that were like made for one person office."

An employee that News 4 spoke with on Monday had confirmed those concerns that a co-worker shared last week, regarding the lack of space.

"A co-worker of mine and I, we were actually on a call at the same time, and we could hear, you know, you could hear each other in the background of those calls," the employee said. "So, it was really hard to have like what felt like a professional, effective meeting that way."

They also say mold is a problem.

"I've been working here for close to three years, and it's been on there as long as I've been here," the employee said.

The employee went on to say that they were told the mold was removed a few weeks ago. However, photos shared with News 4 on Monday show otherwise.

"When I wiped my stuff down this morning, there were still stuff on it," the employee said.

News 4 reached out to agency leaders about the latest concerns.

ODMHSAS is taking a phased approach to in-person operations at its Central Office to ensure employees have appropriate workspaces and to maintain a safe, functional environment. The building continues to meet OSHA and fire safety standards, including air quality guidelines. The Department takes all employee concerns seriously; at this time, no issues have been identified that fall outside of acceptable safety parameters. ODMHSAS continues to focus on fostering a respectful and supportive workplace for all employees.

ODMHSAS Spokesperson

However, employees tell us the whole thing is a head-scratcher. They ask why make a change when everything was already running smoothly?

"There is not a single thing at our job that we need to do at the office that we could not do in our own homes," the employee said.

The employees that News 4 has spoken to believe this change will stay in effect throughout Slavonic's tenure as interim commissioner.

They are worried their work efficiency will decline.